Well well well. It’s twenty eleven. And I resolve to blog more often. So let’s get started, shall we? The new year began with a journey northeast. Not too far northeast, but just a hop skip and a bump beyond Seattle, to a little shrine, Tsubaki Shrine to be exact. Tucked away on a gravel road called Crooked Mile, this shrine just seems to appear out of nowhere. The untrained eye might miss it entirely, if it weren’t for one simple sign, constructed out of the woods that envelop it.

ok, so maybe that’s stone, not wood. Even more majestic.

As you walk down the pathway there suddenly sounds the deep, resonating “BOOM” of a drum. It starts out slowly, but gets faster and faster as you draw nearer to the shrine. Almost as if it were the heart of the woodlands you are approaching. Just as suddenly as it began, it stops. And the only sound is that of tiny bells and trickling fountains.

After saying hello to the various Gods, we entered the shrine and there witnessed an extraordinary ceremony that we were lucky to be a part of. (actually, if you make a donation, you get to join the ceremony. so luck doesn’t really have much to do with it.) We were told many secrets about 2011 that the unfortunate souls who didn’t attend the ceremony will never know…until it’s too late! MWAHahahahaa!!

This sort of ceremony is customary in Japan–every 1st day of the new year, Japanese people trek to various shrines in order to receive advice and luck in the new year. What is your January 1 tradition??

I wanted to be a ballerina. I’m not sure exactly how the story goes, but my mama did take me to ballet classes for awhile…and then…the teacher said my calves were too big or something. So mother gave her the middle finger and I danced my elephantine calves right out of that class. I just came across this pretty little video and it reminded me of that childhood dream (one of many).

Ok, sorry I’ve been a lame poster but life is happening. This seems to be turning into my music blog, but i’ll talk about other things one of these days. Oh! one of these other things–my boy gets back today and i couldnt be more excited!the weather is kinda moody today so i hope he doesn’t get too much turbulence up there in the not-so-friendly skies. in the meantime, i can not stop listening to Jesus, Etc. off of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. The violin just kind of does it to me.

So, I’ve been in Japan, which I think you all know. I will post pictures and stories soon, but for now, here are two music videos that have nothing to do with my trip to Japan. They just happen to be covers of two songs I like very much.

Taken By Trees take on Animal Collectives “All My Girls”

James Blake does Fiest, “Limit To Your Love”. He sounds like John Legend a bit, I think. Ok, well the video was taking way more time to load than I have patience, so you can just watch the thing here.

That ghostly face would be the cover of Matthew Dear’s latest, Black City. I came across a little song called “Slowdance”, which you should listen to here. it gave me a creepy chilly good feeling. Let me know what you think. And Holly, I know it may not appeal to your ADD sensibilities, but just let it play. All the way through.

Secondly, I had a little discussion last night with Shogoriffic at the Redwood, which is small bar tucked away in Capitol Hill that i rather like. And we conversed about movies. Somehow, we got on the topic of movie budgets. Which really blows my mind, really. It’s nothing profound, it’s no big deal, but…should a movie really cost 300 million dollars to make? Is it just me, or is that a badonkadonk load of cash? It’s fucking out of hand if you ask me. SO, in conclusion of this earth-shattering realization, I am doing something. I am BOYCOTTING any and all films that cost more than 5o million to make. I know, i know. big fucking deal. BUT THINK ABOUT THIS: a low budget film has to come up with more creative ways to tell it’s story and appeal to it’s audience. You tell me what movie is better-Fargo or Pirates of the Carribean? And if you vote for the latter, we may not be on speaking terms for awhile.